Helsinki Summit to boost EU-India ties

Finland, the current holder of the EU presidency, will host the seventh EU-India Summit on October 13 in Helsinki.

Finland, the current holder of the 25-member European Union (EU) presidency, will host the seventh EU-India Summit on October 13 in Helsinki, official sources here said.

The central aim of the summit is to strengthen the strategic partnership between EU and India in line with the joint action plan adopted by the two entities in September 2005 in New Delhi.

The Indian delegation to Finland will be led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and will include Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath.

The EU delegation will be led Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. The EU will also be represented by the President of the European Commission (EC), Jose Manuel Barroso; High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana; Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja, Finnish Minister for Trade and Development Paula Lehtomäki and members of the European Commission, Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Peter Mandelson.

The two sides are expected to focus their discussions around trade policy, climate and energy issues and co-operation in the field of science and technology.

Key international and regional issues, such as cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the situation in the Middle East, will also be discussed, according to INEP.

"The EU-India relations have developed quite favourably in recent years. India's stronger international role and fast economic growth provide a new foundation for cooperation with the EU," said an EU press statement.

The Finnish and Indian prime ministers will also attend the EU-India Economic Forum to be held on October 12.